Tourism Employment in Nordic Countries : Trends, Practices, and Opportunities

Viewed through a politico-economic lens, Nordic countries share what is often referred to as the ‘Nordic model’, characterised by a comprehensive welfare state; higher spending on childcare; more equitable income distribution; and lifelong-learning policies. This edited collection considers these contexts to explore the complex nature of tourism employment, thereby providing insights into the dynamic nature, characteristics, and meaning of work in tourism. Contributors combine explorations of the impact of policy on tourism employment with a more traditional human resources management approach focusing on employment issues from an organizational perspective, such as job satisfaction, training, and retention. The text points to opportunities as well as challenges relating to issues such as the notion of ‘decent work’, the role and contribution of migrant workers, and more broadly, the varying policy objectives embedded within the Nordic welfare model. Offering a detailed, multi-faceted analysis of tourism employment, this book is a valuable resource for students, researchers and practitioners interested in tourism employment in the region. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxiv Introduction (Andreas Walmsley, Kajsa Åberg, Petra Blinnikka, Gunnar Thór Jóhannesson)....Pages 1-18 Guides on a Crossroad: Between Deregulation and Entrepreneurship (Jane Widtfeldt Meged)....Pages 19-35 Tourism Employment and Education in a Danish Context (Ida Marie Visbech Andersen)....Pages 37-56 Tourism Work: Public Management of the Tourism Workforce in Finland (Anu Harju-Myllyaho, Maria Hakkarainen, Mari Vähäkuopus)....Pages 57-76 A Potential Treasure for Tourism: Crafts as Employment and a Cultural Experience Service in the Nordic North (Outi Kugapi, Maria Huhmarniemi, Laura Laivamaa)....Pages 77-99 Hardworking, Adaptive, and Friendly: The Marketing of Volunteers in Iceland (Jónína Einarsdóttir, Guðbjörg Linda Rafnsdóttir)....Pages 101-121 On the Move: Migrant Workers in Icelandic Hotels (Margrét Wendt, Gunnar Thór Jóhannesson, Unnur Dís Skaptadóttir)....Pages 123-142 “You Need to Consider How It Looks in the Eyes of the Guest”: The Work of Teenage Girls in Tourism in Iceland (Anna Vilborg Einarsdóttir, Laufey Haraldsdóttir)....Pages 143-167 Migrant Workers in Tourism: Challenges of Unions and Workers in the Icelandic Tourism Boom (Magnfríður Júlíusdóttir, Íris H. Halldórsdóttir)....Pages 169-193 Employee Motivation and Satisfaction Practices: A Case from Iceland (Magnus Asgeirsson, Paulína Neshybová, Brynjar Thor Thorsteinsson, Ester Gústavsdóttir)....Pages 195-212 Managerial Practices of Co-creation and Psychosocial Work Outcomes (Olga Gjerald, Trude Furunes)....Pages 213-234 Seasonal Workers as Innovation Triggers (Birgitta Ericsson, Kjell Overvåg, Cecilia Möller)....Pages 235-256 Gateway, Fast Lane, or Early Exit? Tourism and Hospitality as a First Employer of Norwegian Youth (Åse Helene Bakkevig Dagsland, Richard N. S. Robinson, Matthew L. Brenner)....Pages 257-278 Labour Mobility in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector in Sweden (Mats Lundmark)....Pages 279-302 Downshifting Dutch Rural Tourism Entrepreneurs in Sweden: Challenges, Opportunities and Implications for the Swedish Welfare State (Marco Eimermann, Charlotta Hedberg, Urban Lindgren)....Pages 303-325 Sustainable Tourism Employment, the Concept of Decent Work, and Sweden (Tara Duncan, Anna Gudmundsson Hillman, Jörgen Elbe)....Pages 327-348 A Labour Regime Perspective on Workforce Formation in Nordic Tourism: Exploring National Tourism Policy and Strategy Documents (Dorothee Bohn, Cecilia De Bernardi)....Pages 349-373 Battling the Past: Social, Economic, and Political Challenges to Indigenous Tourism Employment (Ellen A. Ahlness)....Pages 375-399 Hospitality Through Hospitableness: Offering a Welcome to Migrants Through Employment in the Hospitality Industry (Tone Therese Linge, Trude Furunes, Tom Baum, Tara Duncan)....Pages 401-424 Tourism Employment in Nordic Countries: Trends, Practices and Opportunities (Andreas Walmsley, Kajsa Åberg, Petra Blinnikka, Gunnar Thór Jóhannesson)....Pages 425-442 Back Matter ....Pages 443-452